Blue Winged Redemption
by Maurice A. Nigma
Summary: Kratos thinks that he doesn't deserved to be forgiven.  What happens for when he is brought before a being who has a different agenda set for him?  Read and find out!  Silver Radiance Pre event fic.


**Blue Winged Redemption**

**Characters and References of "Tales of Symphonia" by:**** NAMCO Tales Studio, Ltd.**

**Characters and References of "Sonic the Hedgehog" by:**** Yuji Naka of SEGA **

**OC Characters and Story by:**** Maurice A. Nigma**

To most people, seeing themselves floating in a endless and empty void would sound like something from a dream. Everything that a person sees with his or her own eyes would be filled with nothing but darkness. If you happened to be a person who has lived for over four thousand years, then it wouldn't take someone with psychic powers to figure out what was on his mind. To Kratos Aurion, he thought of himself as one who is mostly responsible for the meaningless deaths and suffering of those around him, enemy and friend alike.

Not even caring about where he is or where he's heading, the brunette just felt himself steadily float within the emptiness without allowing himself to think about how he ended up in this place to begin with. _"It seems that wherever place that I'm heading to, it has got to be better than just wandering aimless in a place like this," _thought the ancient swordsman with a sort of chuckle in his mind, something that he didn't seem to be capable to doing for what seemed like an eternity. _"I guess this is what it's like to finally die. Looks to me that I wouldn't be able to know if Lloyd has fulfilled his promise. It's just good to know that I was able to make up for the mistake that I've failed to see and correct long ago even if it did cost me the chance to spend live with my only son. I hope that Lloyd is able to clear the world of all its Exspheres so that future generations wouldn't have to suffer. I pray that he also knows when to settle down and have a normal life of his own while he..." _

Before the seraphim could have the chance to finish the rest of his thought, it was soon cut short by a huge flash of heavenly light enveloping his sight through the darkness. As he felt his entire body being filled with a sort of soft and warm sensation, Kratos wondered what kind of omnipotent force would be so forgiving to allow him to feel this way at all. Just as he was about to even allow himself the chance to remotely think about what is going to happen, the swordsman felt his back landing gently on terrain that feels like soft and yet firm. He also felt what appears to be soft ferns of grass caressing the skin on his face just as his eyes began to adjust to his new surroundings. As soon as he finally able to regain full use of his eyesight, Kratos became enthralled at the scene before him.

What the former seraphim saw wasn't like anything that he would be able to conceive with his own imagination. The bright and clear blue skies of his new surroundings seemed to glitter with bright stars which is rather odd considering that it looked like the middle of the day. The strangest sight that he noticed is the fact that the sky doesn't seemed to have a sun to keep it lit with its blue hue. Another fact is that he's seeing a decent number of assorted planets decorating the sky with their presence.

_"Is this place really the afterlife?" _was the first coherent thought that went through Kratos' mind since his arrival to whatever plane of existence that he is in. _"Do I really deserve to be in a place like this? Just what kind of force would want to send me to a paradise after what I've done to numerous lives?" _

As if to answer the questions floating within his mind, the ancient swordsman suddenly heard a calm and cool female voice speaking to him which startled him to no end, "It seems to me that you still doubt yourself on whether or not you deserve redemption after aiding your son to put an end to your former student's mad goals. Goals that have cost the lives of countless innocents. Am I mistaken on this, Kratos Aurion?"

Frighten by the response, Kratos immediately picked himself off of the ground while at the same time scanning his surroundings in order to find whoever just spoke to him. As his eyes searched all around the area, the brunette noticed the trees didn't seemed bothered by their unusual environment. He even saw the grassy meadow he once laid himself upon stretching towards the horizon that doesn't seem to lead to anywhere in particular. The seraphim also noted that the trees around his surroundings are unlike any other plants that was placed in the caring embrace of Mother Earth. But he didn't have time to analyze the unusual flora further for as he is too preoccupied with trying to find the source of the feminine voice that spoke to him.

_"Just who or what is trying to speak to me?" _Kratos thought to himself as he continued to search for his mysterious speaker while nervous about what she said. _"How is it that she would know all of the deeds that I've while in Cruxis let alone my name? Exactly who or what am I up against? For that matter, just where is this place?" _

Before he could have the chance to think of another thought, the ancient swordsman became startled once again for when the unknown female's voice spoke to him with her tone never changing or wavering in the least, "This place that you now reside in is not the afterlife as you would have envisioned during your travel within the void, young human. Especially since I went through great difficulty trying to bring you into this realm that I have created."

As soon as he heard those words, Kratos became even more bewildered with who would just spoke. Just as he was about to shout out to the mysterious entity, the former seraphim became a bit frighten for when he heard her speaking once again, "Oh, and if you're pondering on how I was able to read your thoughts, all that you need to know is that I possess mental abilities that far surpass your own. That is all that you need to know for the moment. As for where I am, it would be better to look at the sky above you for the answer."

While a bit hesitant, the ancient swordsman did as he is told. Wondering at what his speaker might look like, Kratos raised his head up at the blue sky and a second later his face expressed surprise, confusion, and a bit of fear. What he's staring at are a pair of huge beautiful female eyes with emerald colored irises staring down at him while the rest of her form seemed to be non-existent. Needless to say, the brunette hadn't been more petrified than what he had seen during the four millennia of his life. Never has he ever encountered a being who looked as though it could be some sort of formless god.

Before he could have the chance to understand what has transpired, the brunette heard the unknown creature speaking to him in a proper tone while seeing its female eyes raising one of its brows in confusion, "Hmm. It seems that my current appearance has startled you. Please allow me a moment to take on a most suitable and familiar form that would be appropriate for our conversation."

With those words spoken, Kratos began to see his speaker's huge green eyes disappearing from view right before his sight is once again being engulfed by bright but yet subtle amounts of emerald colored light. After a few moments have passed, the normally stoic male managed to regain his eyesight quickly enough to catch another wonder before him. What he saw in front of him is an attractive looking woman who looks to be around her late thirties in a decent yet revealing cocktail dress that showed a bit of her legs. Her head is crowned with the most gorgeous golden ruby mane of long wavy hair that he'd ever seen. What was most noticeable of all is the fact that her slender body appeared to be twinkling almost like the stars themselves have graced her untouched skin. The only thing that remained the same about this unknown being is her emerald eyes that seemed to glow with a smooth light.

When finishing observing his visitor, Kratos began to, for the first time since his arrival from the black void, speak to the female entity with a rather shocked and confused tone within his voice, "W-Who or w-what kind of creature are you? How do you know all about me and what I've done when in Cruxis? What is your purpose for bringing me into this realm?"

"Ha ha ha. It seems that I have not properly introduced myself right before taking on this form, young human," was what the female human-like entity said to the ancient swordsman just as he heard her clearing her throat right before she spoke again in a sincere and wise tone. "I am a being who has watched over numerous realms like yours for many eons since their creation. A being whose power is far beyond your imagination. You may come to know me as Maiden Pegasia."

After hearing the omnipotent entity speak, Kratos suddenly felt small yet threatened at being by her presence. Out of instinct, he immediately went for his sword that is hung on his waist. When realizing that he could not feel the presence of his weapon's handle, the brunette turned his full attention towards himself and could only stare in awe. What he saw himself wearing is the mercenary outfit that he had worn during his time watching over Colette Brunel on her journey as the Chosen for the world of Sylvarant. He also saw that his Cruxis Crystal, a red soul devouring gem that has extended his life for more than four millennia, is no longer attached anyplace on his body almost as if it had never existed at all.

Kratos began to ask the female being with confusion within his voice, "Just what have you done to me? How is it that you were able to remove my Cruxis Crystal from my body? Just how di...?"

The seraphim's words were soon cut short for when the female entity spoke to him again while her voice never wavered in its tone, "I have effortlessly removed the Cruxis Crystal that has granted you your 'angelic' abilities as well as release the souls that were contained within it. Those innocents deserve release after the endless suffering they have endured caused by the misguided actions of your former student, Mithos Yggdrasill. Corrupt acts that are the result caused by the tragic murder of his beloved sister, Martel which bloomed his own hatred for human kind and the motivation for his **"Age of Lifeless Beings."**

"To answer other questions that you have in your mind, Kratos Aurion, I was able to telepathically read your thoughts before you could have the chance to voice them through your mouth. I could even dive into your deepest memories in order to learn all about you and the actions that you have committed since being in Cruxis. You were unconscious for a considerable amount of time since being brought from Derris-Kharlan during its invasion."

"An invasion within Derris-Kharlan? Just what are you..." was all that the brunette could say to his female speaker right before feeling a powerful headache surging through his head like a terrible migraine.

As he held his head in hopes of calming the pain within his skull, the seraphim began to see an image appearing from within the recesses of his mind. What he saw are numerous images that seemed to have come at random. The first mental scene that Kratos glimpsed is of him flying through and inspecting the ruined city of Welgaia. The second is of him ordering a group of lifeless angels to retreat while at the same time seeing most of them fall one by one. The final image that he witnessed seems to be of what appears to be a formless purple cloud along with a huge claw of sorts reaching for him while hearing it give off a rather wicked and maniacal sounding laughter.

When his painful spell finally receded, the ancient human began to breathe in heavily in order to regain his mental capabilities and proper eyesight. As he slowly recovered from his painful mental experience, Kratos began to hear the voice of his female visitor saying to him in a rather concerned and yet calm tone, "How is your mind doing, Kratos Aurion? Do not fret for while you were suffering from your _migraine_, I did not peer into your mind. However, it doesn't take telepathy to know what was going through your mind moments ago. I take it that you are starting to remember what happened in your realm within Derris-Kharlan?"

After determining that he has recovered enough to speak and stand properly, the brunette spoke again while at the same time trying to regain most of his composure, "Wh-What I saw are only small bits of my memory from what happened in Derris-Kharlan, but they're clear to me as day. I remember doing a normal round around the city of Welgaia checking on its lifeless citizens. But then something almost shaped like a purple cloud appeared out of nowhere and attacked the city. I've gathered a large number of angels that haven't fallen to this creature's formless might. When I was left to fend off this creature it formed what appeared to be a claw. All that I could remember after that is hearing its frightening and insane laughter before seeing the rest turning into black."

"Hmm. It would seem that it has now fallen upon me to inform you on the aftermath, Kratos Aurion," was what he heard the female entity Pegasia saying to him while still keeping her voice calm as before. "What you faced is a creature that is unlike anything that me and my two other companions have encountered during the eons of watching numerous realms. When it attacked Derris-Kharlan, this creature managed to somehow evade our great mental and spiritual capacities. This being did not have a form to call its' own which is why we didn't pick up any trace of its mental or spiritual presence.

"But back onto the matter at hand, as you have observed the creature was able to enslave the soulless citizens of Derris-Kharlan with little effort seeing that those so called _angels_ gave up their own souls for the power that they gained. But as you experienced yourself, this creature wasn't able to gain control of you without fighting to weaken your mental and physical energies first. Rest assure that despite having great difficulty with its great powers and abilities, you were able to fight it off with all of your strength. But despite the effort, you were overpowered and would have been enslaved like the rest of the half-elves of Derris-Kharlan if I had not intervened."

"Wh-What do you mean?" was what the brunette said to female godly individual while still feeling intimidated just as she spoke in response.

"What I mean is that I along with my two other companions have been keeping a close watch over your realm for some time now, Kratos Aurion. For the three of us, a while in our point of view is the equivalent of four thousand of your human years within your dimension. In any case, it was rather fortunate that I was able to extract both your spiritual and physical body from Derris-Kharlan right before the creature was able to control your mind like the others. Of course, I had to speak to the creator of your world in order to persuade him into releasing you to my custody right before arriving to this realm. He was a quite displeased with my inference seeing that I have no jurisdiction in that world.

"But back on topic, you were brought to this realm before me for a reason. A few months from this moment, your realm is going to experience a crisis unlike any that it has ever dealt with. Surely you have been informed about the current events happening over in the newly formed world of Aselia as well as the activities of your biological son by your long time companion, Yuan, were you not?"

There was a moment of silence as the former seraphim took the time to take in the words that his mysterious savior's words. The quiet tension was soon broken for when he found his voice and spoke with an angry and defiant tone that is similar to the one that he has used right after finding out Mithos' plan for an age of _Lifeless Beings_, "I have had enough of your mind games, Pegasia! What is it that you hope to achieve by abducting me from Derris-Kharlan while its inhabitants are under the rule of that foul and formless creature that...!?"

That was all that Kratos could ever say right before feeling all of the sound within his throat cease. Before the brunette could have the chance to register what was happening, he heard his female visitor speaking to him with a now stern tone while at the same time wearing an expression that matched her voice, "I would refrain from raising your voice in my presence again, Kratos Aurion. As you may have figured out, I have mentally disrupted the vibration patterns of the vocal cords within your throat that enable you to speak. Unless you would like for me to reduce your entire physical structure to sub-atomic particles, I would suggest that you listen to what I have to say before I would allow your normal communication patterns to return to normal. But allow me a moment to arrange a few seats for the two of us."

Without any given warning, the seraphim felt what appears to be something solid coming from beneath the ground on his feet. Before coming up with a logical explanation on what is happening around him, Kratos found himself being seated in what appears to be a transparent chair seemingly made of solid glass along with a sturdy looking table that is made of the same material. He saw two beautifully made ceramic tea cups and a normal sized tea pot perched upon its smooth surface. Remembering that he had his voice removed, the human male took a moment in order to compose himself and pulled all of his attention towards his female speaker who he heard speaking just as she perched on the chair opposite to his side, "Now, onto the matter at hand, Kratos Aurion. Please allow me to put up some visual aid to help with our conversation. Behold!"

At those words, the brunette saw the humanoid entity waving her slender hands in the air while at the same time watching particles of light beginning to group together like a swarm of bees. While seeing the light display turning from white to a lovely emerald color, the ancient swordsman saw the small scraps of matter forming what appears to be a huge and lovely jewel that's about the size of a normal person's fist. Being entranced by the sight of the mysterious green gem, Kratos thought to himself in both confusion and amazement, _"This being possesses extraordinary powers and abilities. With but a thought, this creature is able to create and manipulate matter out of thin air. She could have easily toppled Mithos before he could have the chance to use the Eternal Sword. So what chance do I have against a being with god-like powers?" _

As if reading his thoughts, the seraphim heard the voice of his female visitor saying to him with a rather gentle tone while at the same time looking unfazed, "Hmm. You are rather curious and afraid for someone who has lived for over four millennia, young human. There is no need for you to be frightened for I'm not here to harm you. The only thing that you should know about me is that I am a being who, along with my two associates, has existed since the beginning of creation. Let us just leave it at that for now and focus on more pressing matters. Do you see the gem that's floating above my hands?"

After recovering from the initial shock of having his thoughts heard, Kratos turned his full attentions towards the fist sized emerald that is levitating above the female entity's human hand right before he heard her speak again, "What you are seeing at this very moment is one of the most powerful natural forces within the entire cosmos. A gem with energies that are beyond your understanding. This jewel has existed since the early times of creation's birth. In one realm, the inhabitants who discovered and used this type of force dubbed it, the Chaos Emerald. For countless millennia, many beings have scoured the numerous realms in search for these powerful gems because of hearing of what they're capable of when collected. When a being comes in contact with one of the emeralds, he or she would gain an increase of their own natural abilities and strengths. Some even read up on legends that whoever possesses a certain amount of these gems would become a being with the powers of a god. A rather intriguing concept wouldn't you say, Kratos Aurion?"

At the mention of the mysterious gems name, the brunette immediately turned his full attention away from the floating emerald and tried to speak through his mouth. Of course he is soon reminded of the predicament that he was in. That was when he suddenly thought of a means of communication just as he mentally spoke to the female humanoid creature with a confusion and amazement plaguing his mind, _"Just what kind of being would want a gem that could grant them the powers of a god? For that matter, what kind of force would create something that could be used by other beings as a weapon of destruct...?" _

Kratos' thoughts were soon cut short for when he heard the voice of Pegasia saying to him with a rather bemused tone, "The Chaos Emeralds purpose to be used for destruction? Heh! You are clearly not grasping the whole concept, young human. These emeralds are more than just mere baubles that could be used as sources of unlimited power or weapons of destruction. These gems exist for the sole purpose of keeping in check the negative and positive forces all throughout the realms. Which brings me to talk about the situation that is happening at your home planet. Allow me to show you."

With those words, the ancient swordsman saw the humanoid being beginning to wave the emerald away from above her hands and willed its particles into breaking apart right before taking the shape of a clear glass bubble like globe. While amazed at the small effort that Pegasia showed in manipulating objects to her will, Kratos immediately regained enough of his composure to see the outer reaches of outer space appearing within the huge glass like orb. His mind immediately registered the endless black void filled with countless twinkling stars for right before turning his attention to another spectacle. Within the sphere of glass also displayed the newly formed planet Aselia basked in all its glory. The two smaller spheres that orbited around the planet are the moons that, even beyond Cruxis' understanding at the time, managed to stay moving around the heavenly body without causing any instability to its weather climates and natural balance.

Before having the chance to think about Pegasia's actions, he saw several beams of green light shooting from out of the blackness towards his home world. Kratos could spot the seven spectacles colliding within Aselia's atmosphere right before separating into different directions all around the planet. Just as he was about to ponder on what he is viewing, the former seraphim was caught off guard for when he saw one of the beautiful tea cups levitating right in front of his face. Keeping himself composed and from literally jumping off his seat, the brunette heard his mysterious visitor saying to him with her tone returning to its normally calm state, "Drink this liquid and it would allow you to speak again, Kratos Aurion. Now as for what you're seeing within the crystal, seven of these Chaos Emeralds are now entering within your realm. Their sudden arrival caused numerous disruptions in the planet's natural balance and corrupted the minds of those who come into contact to fulfill their own greedy ends. Behold into the viewing crystal and tell me what you see."

As the brunette took the refreshment he was offered and began drinking it while ignoring both the smell and taste of it. He then turned his attention towards the bubble like sphere that still contained his peaceful looking home world and watch events unfold. Kratos nearly choked on the liquid in his cup for when he saw vein like lines of burning red-orange entangling the planet like roots from a mutated plant. The ancient swordsman momentarily shuttered at the memory of the Great Tree going out of control and wreaking havoc across the land that was Sylvarant. Turning his focus back towards the image in the viewing bubble, he saw the entire planet suddenly explode into a huge explosion of searing fiery light right before seeing the glass bubble in his visitor's hand burst into tiny particles.

As he was trying to understand what he had just saw, Kratos heard Pegasia saying to him with her usually calm tone, "What you just saw was an alternate future of your world's fate, Kratos Aurion. One out of many others that have yet to be determined. The exact cause of this catastrophic event cannot be determined by either me or any one of my companions seeing that the Chaos Emeralds' great energies were able to disrupt our ability to see into your world's future accurately. This is just a predicted outcome that we have come up with based on data that we gathered while observing your world and its inhabitants during the millennia. Now I want to ask you this: do you ever stop to think logically about what would have happened to your split world if Mithos' plans for resurrecting his sister's soul had succeeded?"

The ancient swordsman said nothing for as he contemplated on the female entity's words. True, Mithos was willing to do anything that would be able to bring Martel back from her unconscious slumber. He was even willing to give up on one of the worlds as well as its inhabitants in order to see his precious sister come back to the world of the living. But what Kratos thought of was something that not even his mad apprentice would have ever imagined. True, if one of the worlds would have parish, another would be kept flourished and stable. However, there was a possibility he had theorized that he never mentioned to Mithos or anyone else. What he predicted is that if all the mana were to be transferred to the world that was meant to survive while the other perished, then an unseen instability within it would occur that not even Mithos with the aid the Eternal Sword itself would be able to repair.

Before going deeper into his thoughts, Pegasia spoke to him with her calm tone never once faltering, "From what I could read within your current thoughts, I would say that you were correct in your calculations, Kratos Aurion. As you may know, the Summon Spirits of your world have been maintaining the mana flow of both the planes of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant since they have been divided. Now suppose that the respective Summon Spirits that maintain one world were to vanish from existence? What do you think would happen to the Great Tree then?"

Only a moment of silence have filled the scene just as Kratos slumped himself down on his seat knowing that the powerful being had made a very good observation within his mind and memories right before hearing her speak again, "Judging from your silence, Kratos Aurion, I think that I have, as you humans would phrase it, _"struck a nerve." _But let us get back on topic. As I have mentioned moments ago, the Chaos Emeralds that you saw colliding with your world caused its natural balance to shift out of control and is now being sought after by some of its inhabitants corrupting their minds to the point where they are beyond reason. Your son happens to be one of the main causes to the conflict along with several other parties. Which brings me to the reason why you are in this dimension, Kratos Aurion."

When he heard those words from Pegasia, the brunette began to take in a deep breath and found that he could once again speak normally. He spoke to his omnipotent visitor in a quiet and somewhat harsh tone, "Just what is it that you hope to accomplish by bringing me into this place, creature? What do I have to do in order to pay for the crimes that I've committed under Mithos' command? Have I not already been punished enough by having to abandon my own son?"

That was when he heard the female entity beginning to give out a rather soft but yet cold tone of laughter just as he heard her beginning to say, "Further punishing you, human? Ha! For being over four millennia old, Kratos Aurion, you are as stubborn and head strong as a young human adolescent. The only one who passed on your final judgment without any further consent from anybody was yourself. By sentencing yourself to eternal exile on Derris-Kharlan you are only deluding yourself into thinking that you deserve it because the truth of the matter is that deep within your soul you are really afraid of what your son would say to you and what you might say to him in return. Specifically information regarding his birth mother or you. Am I wrong?"

As soon as Kratos heard those words come from Pegasia's mouth, he knew better than to try to argue. Especially for when he is dealing with a being that could mentally cease a person's vocal functions with a thought as well as control and manipulate matter at will. But at the moment, the thought of Lloyd actually yelling and screaming at him for his own foolish decisions as well as leaving to take full responsibility for his actions was more of his concern than anything else. When hearing his deepest concerns and fears being said out loud by the omnipotent female, the ancient swordsman began to contemplate on his past actions as well as her words. It was then Kratos' mind concluded that what he had done not only condemned himself to a life of pain and loneliness, but his son as well. It was almost as foolish as the time he willing went back to Mithos' mad ideals and ambitions for when he thought both his son and wife were dead.

"Heh! I'm such an idiot," was what Kratos said out loud while feeling too ashamed and sadden to notice the female entity still present in front of him. "I tried to do whatever is necessary to redeem myself of my sins only just to wind up hurting those that I hold dear more than they should. Lloyd is now on the planet searching for the remaining Exspheres while unknowingly becoming part of a plan to destroy the world with no one to help him through it. I may have lived for four thousand years, but I still act like a rebellious teenager doing things without thinking once about the consequences. How am I to make up for all that I've done now that I made things worse than they already have been?"

The brunette was so engross within his own self loathing thoughts that he nearly leap up in surprise for when he heard the voice of the mysterious female Pegasia saying in a amused and yet calm manner, "Heh! I am astound that after all that you have been through on your home planet that you already elapsed the lesson that you learned while trying to repent for your past misdeeds. It is such a simple concept to grasp that even your son, who you and the half elven child Genis Sage demean for his low level of intelligence, was able to figure it out. Why is it hard for you to comprehend and apply such a perception?"

As soon as he heard those words spoken by the humanoid creature, the swordsman took his time to take in Pegasia's words into consideration. Kratos suddenly felt like wanting to smack himself on the back of the head for when realization finally dawned on him a moment later. "I cannot believe what a fool that I've been acting all this time. I shouldn't be wasting my time with scolding myself for thinking about what would have been. At this very moment, my only son is used in a plan to ruin the world that he and his companions have worked hard to save. I need to find a way to get back to Aselia before it is too late."

"Hm. Now that your little guilt trip has been put to a stop, Kratos Aurion, we would now be able to get to the reason why I am here before you now," he heard the female entity speak with a satisfied tone as Kratos turned towards the creature's direction and saw her rematerializing the huge green emerald that she showed him moments ago above her hand. "While I have been speaking to the creator of your realm, I managed to persuade him into allowing me to transport you back to your world for the task at hand. But that is not the only thing that I have talked to him about. Surely you already know what I am speaking of, Kratos Aurion?"

"You mean...about my past transactions?" was what the ancient male choked out while at the same time not feeling so surprised with hearing the entity's response.

"That is correct, young human. To put it bluntly, the creator of your realm is very displeased with the actions that the three of you have committed with the intent of bringing Martel back from the dead considering that doing so is the highest crime in all of the cosmos. Any living being that is not of the highest ranks of the Seven Lords who attempt such a feat would be sentenced to spend an eternity of damnation within the deepest chambers of the Netherworld where one of the Lords holds dominion over. Had you succeeded, then the Lord of your world would have considered taking immediate action and send in the Netherworld's most ancient and powerful enforcer. I wouldn't dare to speak further detail about this creature other than that he is a demon beyond what your ancient mind would ever conceive and could easily over power Mithos with just brute strength alone.

"In any case, when I have heard of what he wanted to do regarding your punishment for such crimes, I asked him to put you in my custody so that I myself would decide your fate along with Yuan, who is found guilty despite his intentions. But given the current crisis on your home planet, it would have to wait. We should start on preparing for your arrival back to Aselia as quickly as possible."

While becoming confused at what his mysterious benefactor meant, a bolt of realization finally hits Kratos. He spoke his thoughts outloud to Pegasia as he said with a rather confused and yet panicked tone, "But what of my angelic abilities, Pegasia? Seeing that you've effortlessly removed and destroyed my Cruxis Crystal, I'm but a mere human who could use a sword and shield as well as perform magic thanks to the Aionis metal in my blood."

The brunette male heard the female give out a small chuckle of amusement right before hearing her speak again in her calm manner, "Which is why you are brought to this dimension, Kratos Aurion. The purpose for being here is for you to train yourself into regaining the power that you obtained through the Cruxis Crystal throughout the millennia. The training that you are undergoing is unlike anything that you have ever experienced throughout your extended existence. This method, however, would require you to draw your power from another source. Behold!"

Before he could have the chance to react, the former seraphim saw the emerald that Pegasia telekinetically held above her hands levitate towards his direction. Just as he was about to ask what was going to happen, Kratos saw the green gem suddenly stop right in front of him and rose up towards the starry sky. As he saw the fist sized jewel escalating towards the skies above, the brunette saw it suddenly ceasing its ascension right before bursting into raining golden rays of light. While still a bit amazed at what his visitor have just done, the brunette snapped himself back into focus just as he saw the sprinkling gleams of light ceasing their decent to the ground.

"Pegasia! What is the meaning of this?" was what the ancient swordsman exclaimed just as he watched the millions of rays lowering their radiance a bit and started to take on physical form. From what he could see, these objects seemed to be identical to well-rounded golden rings that are the size of dinner plates.

"What you are seeing now are the physical manifestations of the Chaos Emerald's great energies, Kratos Aurion," was what he heard the mystic being saying to him while at the same time never let his eyes leave one of the golden talismans in front of him that seemed to be emitting a sort of warm sensation in him that he has not felt for years since meeting his first and only wife, Anna. "These talismans have provided a clean and reusable source of energy for the inhabitants of the planet Mobius thanks to a scientist who managed to harness the Chaos Emerald's power to create them. And as to how these objects would be a part of your training, a demonstration is an order. Go ahead and touch the one in front of you."

Doing as he is instructed, the former seraphim extended his right arm and reached for the nearest golden talisman that is closest to him. As soon as he managed to get his hands on the object, he awaited for something spontaneous to occur. Much to his surprise, nothing happened. Becoming confused as to why he was still holding the unnaturally sized ring while expecting a sort of reaction from it, Kratos began to hear his female benefactor saying to him as her tone didn't lose any of its patience.

"You shouldn't act so surprised as to why there is no reaction coming from the Power Ring that you now hold in your hands, Kratos Aurion. The energies of the Chaos Emeralds are sort of like the Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals of your realm for they too absorb the emotions of living things. But unlike the soul devouring gems, they do not need to feast upon a living soul or steal it in order to gain or maintain their boundless power. As I have mentioned a while ago, these are natural forces that keep stability and balance all throughout existence regardless of whether or not all living beings are aware of it.

"But back on topic, the talisman that you are holding within your hand is fueled by the positive forces of the Chaos Emerald. The only thing that could release these objects' mystic energy is for when a living being is pure of heart or if he or she clears all negative emotion and thought from their being and focus more on the positive ones. Otherwise, the Power Rings would be tame as they are now, thus making their energies untapped. This is where you will begin your training, Kratos Aurion for I shall be the one to over see it. And do not fret on the requirements of time required for I could just as easily halt its flow as well as quicken and reverse it to any point where I see fit."

When he heard those words from Pegasia, a thought suddenly crossed Kratos' mind that he did not think to ask since meeting with the mysterious entity and hearing of her intentions for him. "If you're powerful enough to transcend the fabric of time and space, then why didn't you just go to my realm and deal with it yourself? You obviously have the power to do so," the ancient swordsman said to the female god-like being with a stern and curious tone while turning to face her direction just in time to see the entity sighing with what appears to be regretful.

"Sadly, the order and laws set by "the Creator" forbids me to directly interfere with the material plane of any realm unless that I have a physical form present and also seal 81 percent of my powers' capacity. Even if I were to accompany you to your world and change all of reality with my reduced powers, it would not last long enough to stabilize for once I leave your realm, it would be as though I have never arrived there at all.

"But know this, Kratos Aurion: power obtained through corrupted means is useless if the individual does not have the heart or the understanding of possessing it entitles. The only way that humans such as yourself could ever hope to maintain such forces is by learning and coping with the responsibilities that having it comes with. Your former leader and companion Mithos had failed to learn such a lesson throughout his endless span of life searching for a means to bring Martel back to life and has paid the ultimate consequence for his lack of comprehension of his actions. Now, I ask you this question, young human: are you going to just lay here in this dimension contemplating on your past thoughts while your son and home world suffers or are you going to take action on trying to mend the situation? The choice is yours."

After hearing this from his mysterious benefactor, the brunette did the one thing that he thought that he would never be able to do given the situation that he's in. Slowly, Kratos began to clear away all of the confusing and doubtful thoughts from his mind and concentrated on what he's currently facing. _"This entity Pegasia is offering me the chance to train in order to prepare to travel back into my world and save my only son. But why is she helping me? What does she gain by training me and allowing me re-entry into my world? If she's so concerned with the stability of my world, then why didn't she send someone else instead? She must have her own reasons for doing so which are weird considering that she's a powerful entity that could transcend time and space. And what is this punishment that she has in mind for both me and Yuan for when the matter is settled? The only option for me to get any answers is to follow this path that is paved for me and see where it leads." _

After finally settling everything within his mind, the ancient swordsman, now as calm and confident as he was for when defying Mithos' orders, turned and spoke to Pegasia, "If you're asking me if I would rather sink myself into further despair rather than help my only son from being consumed by an unknown evil, then you must be talking to the wrong person. I'm going to do whatever it takes in order to see to it that my son doesn't suffer the same pain that I had went through. I will ensure that he has a good future and nothing, not even you, is going to stop me."

When finally releasing all the words that needed to be said, Kratos waited for the response of the female humanoid just as he saw her expressionless face turn into satisfaction appearing on her lovely features. He then turned his full attention towards the golden talisman in his hands and saw it emitting a beautiful radiance that seemed to fill him with a comfortable warm feeling within his once plagued soul. The moment only lasted a second for when he heard Pegasia spoke, "Hmm. It seems that you have finally resolved on taking matters into your hands, Kratos Aurion. The Power Ring that you are holding onto is beginning to react towards your unburdened emotions. As we speak, you are being empowered with the positive forces of the emerald's great energies. But you still have a long way before you are ready for the task that is ahead. Are you willing to take the risk if it would mean taking on a punishment for your past crimes?"

The question left the former seraphim a bit fazed but his resolve refused to falter in the least. Without another thought, Kratos replied with his voice full of determination that he hasn't showed since he rebelled against Mithos' insane ambitions, "Yes, I'm absolutely certain that I want to go through with this training that you have planned for me and there's nothing else that you could say that would make me think otherwise."

"Hm. Very well, Kratos, then I shall not try to persuade you into changing your mind any longer," Pegasia responded to the brunette while at the same time presenting him another one of the countless golden chakram like talismans that were continuously floating all around the vicinity. "But be advised that the powers that you are about to gain is like nothing that you have ever experienced. It would take time for you to adjust to them, but you will learn to use them properly in good time. Here are the weapons that you would be using in your training. And remember the feelings that you have felt for when you spoke to me about ensuring your offspring's future. Now, if you would pardon me, I have other business that I need to attend to for the moment before beginning your training."

Kratos didn't say anything else for as he saw his mysterious female benefactor fading out of sight before him like a ghost or an illusion before his eyes. What took her place are a well crafted blade and carefully designed shield landing in front of his feet. As he picked the two combat items up, the ancient swordsman felt warmth being emitted from the gold ring still present within his hand and enveloping his entire being while thinking to himself with a new purpose to live, _"Please be patient, Lloyd. Don't die before I do."_

**The End...Until Silver Radiance**

**A/N:**** I'm sure glad that I was able to get this monkey off of my back. I mean, I was actually planning on getting this fic up and about earlier, but lack of inspiration and other projects got in the way. As a result, I almost gave up on trying to write it. But it was thanks to my tutor who read it and gave me honest comments about it. It was when I was reminded of a saying, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." I was actually worried about Kratos' character within this story that I was nearly planning on giving up on it as well as my Silver Radiance project altogether. That and the fact that Kratos fangirls are going to have me over for a huge wienie roast after ruining the personality of their favorite character in ToS and I'm going to be on the grill. In any case, I would like to ask everyone for their honest opinions on this fic and don't hold anything back. Well, Later!**

**Maurice A. Nigma**


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